Elevator for barrels.



No. 665,022. Patented 1an. l, Ism'.

c. w. LEVALLEY.

ELEVTUR FOR BARHELS.

(Appucnian led mar. 5, 1900.) (No Modal.) 2 Sheets-Sheet No. 665,022. Patented lan. I, |901.v

. C. W. LEVALLEY.

ELEVATDR FDR BARRELS.

(Application med mar. 5, 1900.1 (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

. @mph/Wam@ UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHRISTOPHER LEVALLEY, )F MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN.

E'LEVATOR FOR BARRELS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 665,022, dated January 1,1901.

' Application tied mmh 5, i900. serial No. 7,411. no mudas To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that 1 CHRISTOPHER W. LE- vALLEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and State of Wisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvement-s in Elevators for Barrels, &c., of which the following is a specification.

This in ventiou relates to elevators of that class in which endless chains or belts having package or article carrying arms or cradles projecting out therefrom are employed, the said cradles or arms being adapted to receive and support the articles to be elevated; and the invention has for one object to ease the shock due to the moving arms or cradles coming suddenly into engagement with the load which they are to carry and lifting or picking up the same; and it has for a further object to accelerate and facilitate the discharge or delivery of the load over the head of the elevator and to otherwise improve au elevator of the character referred to.

The invention consists of the combination, with the endless belts or chains, of the articlecarrying supports, arms, or cradles of novel and peculiar construction, as will hereinafter be pointed out and as is illustrated in the drawings.

In such drawings I have illustrated the preferred forms of my invention.

Referring to such drawings, Figure l is a perspective View of an elevator for barrels provided with my improvements. Fig. 2 is a side View of an elevator differing from the elevator shown in Fig. l in that the supporting-arms are adapted to carry boxes or packages with Hat sides. Fig. 3 is a perspective, enlarged, of one of the spring-braces for the cradle or supporting-arms. Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectional View of the same. Figs. 5 and 6 are respectively a plan view and aside edge View of two links of the drive-chain, one of them being provided with attachments by which the cradles or supports are attached to the chain. Fig. 7 is a detail view illustrating the connection of the spring-brace with one of the supporting-arms or cradles.

Referring to the drawings, A A represent the u pstanding side bars of the elevator-f rame, spaced by the string-pieces B and carrying the side bars C, which constitute the runways over which travel the upward-moving parts purpose connected with the head-shaft F.

H indicates a support upon which the' articles to' be elevated may be placed and from which they are taken automatically by the lifting mechanism, and HV indicates a support upon which the articles are to be delivered.

The drive chains or belts D carry a series the head of the elevator.

As vis clearly indicated. in Fig. 1 of the.

drawings, the elevator consists of a pair of endless chains or belts arranged side by side and at a suitable distance apart to suit the purpose for which the elevator is intended, and the cradles or supports which pick up and carry the articles to be elevated consist of pairs of arms suitably connected with the said chains or belts and braced, the arms being arranged opposite to or abreast of each other. These arms are designated by the reference-letter M, and they are shown pivotally connected with certain links m of the drive-chains. In Fig. 1 the arms are curved and adapted to support cylindrical articles, such as barrels, while in Fig. 2 they are designated M and are straight and adapted to support packages, such as boxes. The arms may be given other shapes to suit the particular kinds or styles of packages or articles to be elevated. l

articulate to the desired extent.

InuFligs. 5 and G the links m, to which the arms"1MP-are pivotally connected, are represented. rlhe side bars of the links are provided with lugs or ears ,1), between which eyes formed at the inner ends of the arms are inserted, the parts being united by pins or coniiecting-pintles, so that they are free to m represents a cross-.bar extending between the cradles orarins M'preferably about midway between their-ends, serving to hold them apart and bracelthein.

rlhe armsof. the cradles or supports are held in operative? or working position-that is, extending outward from the chains o1' belts D at an angle approximating more or less nearly a right angle-by means of bracerods N. These brace-rods are pivotally coninected- Withcertain 'links n of the chains in rear of the links m, to which the-,arms of the cradles are pivotally connectedyand are also fat their opposite ends pivotally connected with the arms'M of the cradles or supports at points about midway of their length.

I am well aware that it is old in the art to 4employ elevators for barrels and the like consisting of a pair lof parallel sprocket-chains to which are pivoted cradles for the articles "pto befelevateihsuch cradles being held in woxk-ingpostion by sti brace-rods extending from the middle portions of the cradles to the chains, with which they are pivotally united at points in-rear of the' pivotal connections between the chains and the cradlearms; but in the use of such elevators a shock to the apparatus is experienced each v1time a cradle comesinto engagement with and lifts an article, the shock being proportionate to the Weight of the article lifted and the speed at which the elevator is run. This has made it necessary to run the elevator at a relatively slow speed when lifting heavy articles, and the shocks thus experienced have caused an unduly-rapid wearing out and deterioration of the apparatus. I have overcome the objections above referred to by supporting the cradles yieldingly in working position, so that when a cradle comes into engagement with its load there is a certain amount of yield or give to the cradle during i the operation of picking up the load,with the result that the shocks and strains heretofore "f experienced are largely removed and permitting the parts to run at a much higher speed than has heretofore been practicable.

^ I have illustrated in the drawings the preferred means whereby the cradles or supports are yieldingly held. in working or operative position and will now describe such parts.

, The brace-rods N are made in two sections N N2, the inner or adjacent ends of which have telescopic connections with each other. As represented, the section N,which is hinged to the cradle-arm, is formed with a socket n', into which iits the end fn? of the other section N2, which is hinged to the chain. A pin, rivet, or bolt N3, seated in suitable apertures in the walls of the socket 'n' and passing through slots n in the end n2 of the section N2, serves to unite the parts and yet permit them the necessary latitude of movement. In the socket n' there is located a coiled spring O,which, acting against the end n2 of the section N2 of the brace-rod, tends to hold the parts apart and the bracerod extended to the greatest extent allowed by the pin N3 and slot n3. 'lhe outer or lower end of the section N2 is provided with an eye P, adapted to fit between and be pivotally united with the ears P of the chain-links n. The upper or outer end of the section N of the brace-rod is formed with a pair of ears or jaws R, which are adapted to embrace a perforated lug or projection 'u on the cradle-arm M, to which it is united by a pivot, pin, or bolt s. The end of the section N' of the rod, between thejaws R, is formed into an inclined surface U, and the perforated lug v is preferably so formed as to bear upon this surface, and thereby in a measure take the strain of the load from off the pivot s.

Frein this description and examination of the drawings it will be evident that when a cradle strikes against a barrel or other packvage to be elevated the shock incident to the .c being carried up the ysprings O remain more or less under compressi-on, according to the load; but when the load passes overthe head of the elevator the Weight upon the cradle is relieved and the springs will expand with sufficient force to propel or kick the package from olf the cradle and entirely free of the elevator. This is an advantage of no small value, especially in lifting barrels, as the kick or push given to the barrels as they 'are discharged from the elevator starts them rolling away from the delivery end of the elevator and prevents a congestion of material at this point.

While I have described the preferred form and embodiment of my invention, it is apparent that it may be variouslymodified without departing from its essen tial features, and I therefore do not limit myself to the exact construction and arrangement of parts shown, as I believe myself to be theffirst to provide an elevator for barrels, packages, and the like in which the cradles or supports are yielding, so as to take up the shock incident to first lifting the load. i

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination with the endless chains, ofthe cradle or package-support carried thereby, and means for yieldably holding the same in working position, whereby as the load is engaged by the elevator its weight is gradu- IOO IIO

ally applied to the elevator, substantially as be elevated carried by and extending outward from the chains and pivotally connected thereto, and the spring-braces for the said cradles or supports for holding them in position to receive and support the articles to be elevated, substantially as set forth.

4. The combination with the endless chains, of the cradles or supports for the articles pivotally connected `with,and project ing outward from the said chains or' belts,^and yielding, spring brace-rods unitingthe cradles or supports-and the chains and operating to hold the cradles or supports i'n working position yieldingly, substantially as set forth.

5. ,The combination with the endless chains of an elevator, of the cradles or supports for the articles pivotally connected with the chains and vextending outward therefrom, and the brace-rods for the cradles consisting of two parts,and springs between the said parts tending to separate them, which springs are put under strain when the load is upon the cradle or support, substantially as set forth.

6. The combination with the endless chains of an'Y elevator, of the cradle-arms carried thereby, telescopic brace-rods hinged to the chain -fand f to the cradles or supports and springs interposed between the telescoping ectilons ofthe bracerods,substantially as set ort 7. The combination with the chains of an elevator,- of the cradle or supporting-arms pivoted thereto and extending outward therefrom, the yielding brace-rods for holding the arms in working position pivotally connected with the chains, and with the arms, the said brace-rods being provided at their ends which are connected with the arms with surfaces U, and the arms being provided with perforated lugs through which the pivots 'uniting them with the brace-rods pass, the said lugs resting upon the surfaces U, substantially as set forth.

8. The combination with the chains of an elevator,of the supporting-arms carried thereby and pivetally connected thereto, spring cushioning-supports for such arms and stops to li mit the yielding of said arms under shock or weight, substantially as set forth. o

9. The combination with the elevatorchains,of supporting-arms for the article carried thereby and Ahinged thereto, and expansible brace-rods for holding the supportingarms in position when loaded, the said arms by their expansion facilitating the discharge of the load, substantially as set forth.

10. The combination with the elevatorchains, of the supporting-arms pivoted thereto, the.bracerods N, consisting of twofsections pivoted respectivelyl to the chains, and to the supporting-arms, and being telescopically connected to each other at their inner ends, a pivot-pin seated in one of the sections and passed through a slot in the other, and a spring located within one ofthe sectionsland bearing against the end'of the other, substantially as set forth.

CHRISTOPHER W. LEVALLEY.

Witnesses:

W. C. FRYE, JOSEPH LocH. 

